Travelers Welcome

Travelers Welcome

Saturday, October 30, 2010

SHANNON'S OASIS

by Mather Schneider

Shannon was born 4 months premature
to a crack head mom.

She was so small
you could see her heart

like a goldfish
under paper-thin ice.

The hospital lights ripped and ruined
her tiny retinas

and the doctors didn’t give her
a month

but somehow here she is
30 years later

blindly limping toward my taxi on
taffy legs

with Lloyd,
her loyal yellow lab

guiding the way.
Lloyd climbs into the cab,

sinks to the floor
with a happy huff

and then Shannon feels her way
like a spelunker.

When she's comfortable
I drive her to the public pool

where she will sit so peaceful
under her dark umbrella

with an icy coke, moving her hand in
and out of the shade.

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